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The transfer portal is now open to men’s college basketball players until Tuesday, April 22. Here are the Panthers that have put themselves in the transfer portal:
Obadiah Curtis
Redshirt junior guard Obadiah Curtis announced he will enter the transfer portal on March 11 after one season at Eastern, according to his X account.
Curtis, from Fresno, California played in 26 games for the Panthers and averaged 6.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
Curtis recorded a season-high 17 points against Lindenwood.
To conclude the 2024-2025 season, Curtis ended with a total of 171 points, 73 rebounds, 19 assists, 17 steals and nine blocks.
Curtis will have two more years of eligibility.
NaKyel Shelton
Senior guard NaKyel Shelton entered the transfer portal Monday morning, according to 247Sports and Verbal Commits on X.
Shelton, one of Eastern’s top performers, has one more year of eligibility left.
Throughout his two years at Eastern, Shelton averaged 14 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Shelton also closed out his two years at Eastern with 813 total points, 262 total rebounds, 112 assists, 59 steals and 33 blocks.
In the 2023-2024 season, Shelton was the team’s leading scorer in non-conference play, averaging 11.5 points per game.
In March 2024, Shelton helped the Panthers reach their first Ohio Valley Conference tournament since 2019.
In the 2024-2025 season, Shelton led the team in scoring, averaging 17 points per game. Shelton also recorded a career-high 38 points against Morehead State.
Shelton helped lead the team to their overall record of 12-19 and their conference record of 8-12.
At the end of the regular season, Shelton was named part of the OVC All First-Team.
Lazar Grbović
Redshirt junior forward Lazar Grbović announced he will enter the transfer portal on March 25 after two seasons at Eastern, according to Verbal Commits on X.
Grbović, from Belgrade, Serbia played in 23 games for the Panthers for 180 minutes and averaged 1.7 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.
Grbović recorded a season-high 12 points against Blackburn in the 2024-2025 season.
Grbović also closed out his two years at Eastern with 81 total points, 69 total rebounds, 18 steals, 12 assists and five blocks. Grbović will have one more year of eligibility.
Blake Goodman
Redshirt junior forward Blake Goodman announced he will enter the transfer portal on April 10 after one season at Eastern, according to his Instagram.
Goodman, from Detroit, played in seven games for the Panthers for 102 minutes and averaged 3.7 points and 0.7 rebounds.
Goodman recorded a season-high seven points against Butler in the 2024-2025 season.
Goodman also closed out his two years at Eastern with 26 total points, five total rebounds, four steals, two assists and one block.
Goodman will have two more years of eligibility.
Isaiah Griffin
Sophomore guard Isaiah Griffin announced he will enter the transfer portal on April 10 after two seasons at Eastern, according to Verbal Commits on X.
Griffin, from Orange, New Jersey played in 22 games for the Panthers for 157 minutes and averaged three points and 0.8 rebounds per game.
Griffin recorded a season-high 10 points against Earlham College in the 2024-2025 season.
Griffin also closed out his two years at Eastern with 65 total points, 18 total rebounds, 16 assists and 10 steals.
Jackson Connor
Redshirt junior forward Jackson Connor announced he will enter the transfer portal on April 15 after one season at Eastern, according to Verbal Commits on X.
Connor, from Marion, played two seasons at John A. Logan College before transferring to Eastern.
Connor, a walk on for the Panthers, appeared in eight games throughout the season, playing a total of 42 minutes.
Kam O’Connor
Redshirt sophomore guard Kam O’Connor announced he will enter the transfer portal on April 16 after one season at Eastern, according to Verbal Commits on X.
O’Connor, from Lebanon, Ohio, played two seasons at UNC Pembroke before transferring to Eastern.
O’Connor, a walk on for the Panthers, appeared in nine games throughout the season, playing a total of 21 minutes.
Corey Sawyer Jr.
Senior guard Corey Sawyer Jr. entered the transfer portal April 2, according to Verbal Commits on X.
Sawyer Jr., from Orlando, Florida was with the program for two years after transferring from Cloud County Community College.
Throughout his two years at Eastern, Sawyer Jr. averaged 7.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Sawyer Jr. also closed out his two years at Eastern with 333 total points, 95 total rebounds, 63 assists and 36 steals.
In the 2023-2024 season, Sawyer Jr. averaged 8.9 points per game, playing in 29 games for the Panthers.
Before the 2024-2025 season, Sawyer Jr. tore his meniscus, sidelining him for the first 15 games of the season.
Sawyer played in 14 games throughout the season, averaging 5.3 points per game.
The story will be updated as more players enter the transfer portal.
Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or at zhflippin@eiu.edu.
